Site Navigation

Site Mobile Navigation

Look Who’s Talking

SUE PIKE, a slender 45-year-old who lives in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, does not consider herself a “cat whisperer.” She is, however, in the business of psychically healing these most touchy of man’s animal companions.

“I’m in the field of animal communication,” Ms. Pike explained the other day as she was visiting a particularly indifferent-looking patient reclining on a coffee table in an apartment not far from her house. “Basically, I do a lot of channeling.”

Until a year ago, Ms. Pike, who is also a professional makeup artist, employed her healing techniques, which include the traditional Japanese art of reiki, entirely on people. Then, when visiting friends in Utah, she tried those skills on the friends’ horses, with unexpected success, discovering, among other things, that one was pretty upset at his humans for making him work so hard. Ms. Pike’s animal work has since expanded to include dozens of cats, three dogs and a rabbit, although she cautions that her work is “an accompaniment to and not a substitute” for traditional veterinary medicine.

Her patient this day was a 9-year-old tortoise-shell male named Gatti, whose owner, a high school English teacher named Camila Gamboa, is one of Ms. Pike’s reiki patients.

According to Ms. Gamboa, Gatti had been chewing her books and bullying her other cat, Lola. Ms. Pike wrote some quick comments in a notebook and then began her treatment by calling on what she called “universal knowledge” — the collective voice of the animal’s ancestors.

“Calling all of my spirit guides of the highest order,” Ms. Pike intoned as she sat cross-legged on the floor, her green eyes closed. “Are you there?”

Licking himself methodically, her patient ignored Ms. Pike.

She then began gently probing the cat’s feelings. Why was he so unkind to Lola?

Suddenly, Ms. Pike’s voice changed to a high-pitched girlish tone. “I don’t like sharing with the other kitty,” she announced.

Photo

Is Micah happy? Sue Pike, cat channeler, wants to know.Credit
Daniel Barry for The New York Times

“It’s Gatti talking,” Ms. Pike explained in a normal voice.

Through Ms. Pike, Gatti further revealed that he did not like having his nails clipped, and that he sometimes got sick from licking his fur.

After a few more exchanges, Ms. Pike crouched next to Gatti, made a retching sound and rubbed her hands together vigorously. The negative energy, she informed Ms. Gamboa, had been removed.

A stranger coming upon the scene might have found the whole exchange a little bizarre, but Ms. Pike said that those who approached her for animal healing were ready to be convinced. “Most people who come to me for healings are already open to some level,” she said. “If someone is narrow-minded and thinks all forms of self-help are hogwash, then I won’t even go there. I’m not out to change people’s minds.”

Among the defenders of Ms. Pike’s approach is Dr. Debra Voulgaris, a vet at the Hope Veterinary Clinic in Boerum Hill. “I can’t say anything about the communication elements,” Dr. Voulgaris said, “but I’ve heard a lot of good things about reiki. The lymphatic system, blood flow, neurons — the body’s health is all about energy flow and making sure it’s unblocked.”

After 40 minutes of attention to Gatti, the discussion turned to Lola. “She’s super-scared of people,” Ms. Gamboa explained. “She belonged to a friend originally, and he was really crazy.”

Ms. Pike’s arms shot out sideways, and a spasm ran up the side of her neck. “Yikes!” she said. “Not good. I’m seeing her being hit.”

Leaving Ms. Gamboa with Gatti, Ms. Pike went into the bedroom, where Lola was hiding under the bed, and sat on the floor. Addressing the end of the bed, she gently asked Lola why she was so scared. The answer came almost immediately. “He hurt me! I don’t like it when they hurt me!” Ms. Pike said in her girlish tone. Still in the living room, Ms. Gamboa heard Ms. Pike speak, and winced.